


That's A Promise

by Fafsernir



Series: Torchwood Prompts [5]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, References to Torture, no torchwood, superpower au, they all have powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-14 15:42:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7177790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fafsernir/pseuds/Fafsernir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack had been reckless and this time he had been caught. It wasn't the first time, but this time was different. This time he was stuck, with a stranger, in a cell that somehow suppressed his powers. Not that his powers would help him get out of any cell, but still, it was frustrating enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New cell mate

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything, I'm just writing for fun, every right goes to the BBC or RTD etc... (read the series' notes if you want to know where this comes from :) )
> 
> (Rated M for references to torture but other than that there isn't much)  
> Hi guys, so this is an AU with powers. I wanted to make it short as usual, but I got carried away (oops), so this is just inspired by the prompt idea, I guess. As usual : I'm not a native speaker (yeah that didn't change haha) so every mistakes are mine (yes, by that I mean excuse me if I am butchering your language), and this is the first time I write something over 2000 words in English (which isn't school-related) ^^
> 
> Prompt Idea "they captured you and put me in your room because i can suppress other people’s powers so you hate me but i’m lonely and bored and want to talk to you AU" (Torchwood/aliens don't exist in this prompt)

Jack fought back and yelled as he was dragged in the hallway. He punched one of his captors and stopped dead when he saw the gun in front of him. He smiled, though. The other man grinned, then laughed, and Jack suddenly hesitated.

“If I were you, I wouldn't do that.”

“Yeah? Try and kill me, then.”

He laughed again and hit him with the butt of the gun. Jack tried to push away unconsciousness but everything went black.

 

He opened his eyes and growled. His head hurt like hell, and it was even worse because he hadn't felt that way for more than ten years. Not since he had had his powers. He brushed his fingers over his forehead and hissed in pain. Why was he hurt? He couldn't possibly be hurt, he was supposed to heal fast!

“You awake?”

He didn't answer but looked at the young man who had spoken. He then looked at everywhere he could, quickly realising he was in a cell. _No shit, Sherlock_. He sighed and rubbed his eyes before sitting up. The young man brought him a glass of water but Jack just watched him without moving or saying anything.

“It'll do you good.”

After a while, the young man – he was more of a teenager, really – took a sip and smiled.

“Not poisoned, see?”

“You could have an antidote.”

“Oh so you can talk? They didn't say.”

“They?”

“The people who brought you here.”

Jack sighed then took the glass to drink. He was right, the cold water was helping. After a few minutes of silence, Jack looked up at him again.

“Who are you?”

“My name's Ianto, Sir.”

“Jeez, don't call me Sir. How old are you?”

“I... I don't know.”

“I'm sorry?”

“I don't know, it's not as if they came every year to celebrate my birthday.”

Jack stared at him open-mouthed.

“Every _year_? How long have you been here?!”

“Well, I don't know either. Not exactly. I think I'm 18. Maybe 19. That means... 8 years.”

“ _Eight_ years?! Wh-- What... How?”

“They took me in to... try things. They found someone better after two years and I've been here the rest of the time. Sometimes they put someone else with me, but they never stay long.”

“What about your parents?”

“I was sick, they said to my parents they would heal me.”

“Did they? Heal you?”

“I don't know.”

Jack sighed and stayed silent, trying to think. He had been imprudent and they had caught him. It wasn't the first time, but the two other times, he had managed to get free before they could even put him in a car. Because the others had been helping him. This time, he had yelled at them to leave him alone because he knew that if they all came, some were going to die and even if he wouldn't, he hadn't wanted to take the risk. They deserved to live.

And now he was in this cell with this Ianto that had been here half of his life. And he couldn't leave him here. He had to get out, and he had to take Ianto with him.

He got up and examined closely every wall and the door. He would find a weak spot and get them out of here. He had to.

“I'm Jack, by the way. I'm 23, so really, don't call me 'Sir'. I was with friends before they took me in.”

“Are they okay?”

“Yeah... Yes they are. I hope. I told them to run away.”

“Why?”

“So they could live on.”

“But you're trapped here.”

“I didn't want them to die for me.”

“Why?”

“'Cause... I don't know. They're my family now. I can't let them die for me. I'll come back. That's what I do. I always come back,” he whispered the last sentence, closing his eyes for a moment. He jumped when Ianto put a hand on his shoulder, and grabbed his wrist.

“Don't touch me!” Jack snapped.

“I didn't mean to frighten you... You just... seemed sad...”

They stared at each other for a long time. Jack finally let go, because being so close to Ianto was weakening him. He took his distance, pretending to check other parts of the wall while Ianto stayed in a corner. Jack eventually smiled kindly and looked at Ianto who had sat down, his knees up against his chest and his chin resting on his arms, crossed on his knees. He looked miserable. Jack had to say something.

“I didn't mean to yell at you.”

“It's okay.”

“No it's not, I'm sorry. You've been here all your life, alone. I don't have any right to scream at your face. You didn't ask for that.” Jack crouched beside him and put his hand on his arm. Ianto flinched away and Jack sighed again. He knew what that meant. He straightened up and turned his back on the young man.

“I'm not going to hurt you, I promise.”

“Don't make promises you can't keep,” Ianto whispered. But in the quiet of the room, Jack could hear it properly. He stopped in the middle of the cell and took a moment to think. Then he resumed his analysis of the place and patted the wall opposite to where Ianto was.

“I'm not, really.”

“That's what they all said or thought.”

“This cell somehow prevents me from using my powers, doesn't it? It does the same to you? I suppose you're here because you have powers too? That was your illness, wasn't it? You had strange powers and--”

“This is my power,” Ianto mumbled but Jack quite didn't hear him.

“What?”

Ianto didn't answer and Jack let him be for the moment.

 


	2. Promises

Three days passed without any sign of anyone else than the two of them. Ianto stayed silent and in a corner half of the time, then Jack talked him out because he needed to shower. Ianto showed him, silently, and he turned away to let him have some privacy. He gave him new clothes that Jack didn't know where were coming from but didn't ask, and Ianto cooked for him. He had noticed the kitchenette – though only accessible to Ianto – but didn't question it either. He assumed that whomever were keeping them here didn't come every day to give his meal to Ianto. After all, he had been here for a few years now, if he were a threat, they wouldn't have let him be so free – as long as one could be in a cell. Sometimes, it looked like he wasn't even their prisoner, but a strategy to make Jack talk. To make him confess where his friends were.

Except that Ianto never asked anything. Maybe that was a way of interrogation. But Jack didn't want to go all paranoid. And he really wanted to help Ianto. He could hear him at night. He could see he had nightmares and he really didn't want to know what he was dreaming about. It seemed horrible. He knew he would wake up at least twice in the night, screaming, and he didn't even seem to realise it. Jack was sure he would apologise to him the next day otherwise.

The first night, he hesitated to do something, but then Ianto woke up and calmed himself alone and went back to sleep. On the third night, Jack felt a presence at some point, next to him. Ianto came quietly and lied down against his back. Jack wanted to say something but he didn't and Ianto was gone when he woke up – well he was still in the cell of course, but away from him.

There was something else very odd. Every time they would touch, even just brushing fingers, Jack would feel weak. Really weak. He didn't know what it was, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He had heard love stories about that, but he didn't want to think about it because it seemed stupid to fall in love with someone in a cell. Even though Ianto was quite good looking, and Jack liked him, it wasn't the time nor the place.

From what they had talked about, Jack didn't learn a lot more. He learned that only one person ever succeeded to break the door but got killed right after. As much as Jack wanted to get out, he was afraid of dying because he knew his powers weren't working for now. He didn't know how, and every time he tried to ask Ianto, he would just avoid talking for hours. He had stopped asking aloud but he was thinking about a lot of possibilities and none seemed to be the right one.

 

The fourth day, Ianto was next to him, staring down at him, when he woke up. He was way too much in Jack's personal space, but it's not as if being cell mates didn't imply that, and Jack didn't joke about it because Ianto had a too serious face on. They looked at each other and Ianto took Jack's pillow in his hands.

“You have to do it,” he eventually said.

“Do what?” Jack was still half asleep and even wildly awake, he wasn't sure he could have understood.

“You have to break your promise,” Ianto continued with the same too serious tone.

“Which promise?”

“You said you wouldn't hurt me.”

“And I won't! Ianto I'm going to help you, even if I have to die.”

“Why?”

“Stop asking why. Because. That's what I do. I try and help people 'cause I don't know what to do with my powers. I'm invincible, I can't stay permanently dead, but others can. I have to protect them.”

“But you don't have your powers any more,” Ianto retorted, somehow desperately.

“I don't care. I'll find a way to get them back and I'll take you with me. Out of this nightmare.”

“I'm offering you a way. Kill me.”

“I'm not going to kill you, Ianto!”

“I know you can feel it! I can see it in your eyes! Every time we touch, you feel it.”

Jack frowned, afraid of where this was going. How could Ianto have guessed?

Ianto grabbed his arm, strongly, and Jack felt it again. His body growing weaker and weaker. It was worse than any time before. A sudden pain tore his chest apart and he yelled. Ianto let go off of him and all the pain just disappeared. He had no physical injury but it had felt like someone had stabbed him.

“See? That's what I do,” Ianto whispered, tears in his voice.

“What do you mean?” Jack asked, genuinely confused, or refusing to see what was standing in front of him.

“They didn't build anything to restrain your powers. They didn't have to. They just put me with one of you-- one of us, when they're afraid.”

“They're afraid of me? I can only heal myself...”

“No. Jack, you are much more powerful than you think. I can feel it, coming out of you. That's why you feel so weak around me. When I touch you.”

“Ianto...”

“You know what this is. You guessed it. You just didn't want to face it. But you have to kill me, to save yourself.”

“I can't!”

“What about your friends?”

“They'll do fine without me.”

“Will they? I'm dangerous. They'll use me as a weapon one day. They won't keep me here forever. They'll use me, and you know it. They'll control whatever I can do. You know they will. You can't heal yourself because I'm here. I'm doing this to you! My power is to suppress others' powers. I try to repress it as much as I can but it's still suppressing your powers. What you felt... this is what it feels like if I don't contain myself. So please, kill me and save yourself.”

“Don't ask me to do this...”

“Why?” Ianto asked, now angry.

“'Cause then I get to live with this! You're a human being, Ianto, I can't kill you!”

“This is selfish!”

“Killing you would be selfish too!”

“You'll save everyone, you know what they're going to do!”

“I can help you!”

“You can't. Please... _Please..._ ” Ianto cried, and Jack stilled. Was he begging him?

“You want to die...” It wasn't a question, more of a statement, but Ianto nodded anyway. “But why?”

Jack asked after a few seconds. Ianto shrugged and stepped back, letting go of the pillow and clenching his fists. Jack followed suit and got on his feet, facing Ianto.

“This isn't life. I'm a danger. I don't want to hurt people. I... I didn't want to die before. But I can't bear looking at you while knowing you're weak or in pain because of me.”

“Why?”

“You've been so kind to me. They've all tried to kill me to escape. The one who didn't wouldn't talk to me. He understood right away, but he didn't kill me. He refused to talk to me, though. It's the one who opened the door. He's dead now. I don't want you to die,” he admitted, looking away.

Jack was the one to step into his personal space this time. And Ianto didn't move but he didn't look at him either. He only stared in puzzlement at Jack when the man put his hands on his cheeks and smiled weakly.

“I told you, I won't break any promise I made. I will help you.”

Ianto shook his head but Jack silenced him with a kiss. He hadn't really intended to kiss him on the lips, but Ianto was still shaking his head, so it just sort of happened. And he didn't pull back, nor did Ianto.

There was pain. Throbbing pain. As if his chest were burning – which he could tell by experience. It hurt like hell, but he didn't move. He concentrated on kissing that poor lost boy. He had no powers but he could still try and do as if he had. When Ianto relaxed under his hands and responded, the pain disappeared. He felt warm, but it didn't burn any more, and it felt rather good. He had already tried to give just a little sparkle of life with a kiss more than once before, he had saved some lives like that. That's what he tried to do this time as well, and it seemed to work, even if he couldn't feel his powers any more.

When they parted, Ianto tried to step back, but Jack tightened his arms around him and hold him tight against him. He couldn't feel the pain any more, he didn't feel weak any more. He could do this.

“I'm going to save you. I promise I will.”

 

The fifth night, Jack was gone from the cell when Ianto woke up in the middle of the night. He had wanted to lie against Jack, because he actually managed to rest when Jack was here, but he was gone. Ianto wasn't able to go back to sleep and a day after, the door opened. Ianto thought they would put Jack back in with him, but instead they took him and Ianto didn't fight back. He had stopped years ago.


	3. What Have They Done to you?

When Jack finally woke up in his cell again, he had lost track of time. As Ianto wasn't with him, he had been able to heal for the past few days – weeks? – and they had taken advantages of that. They had hit, and cut, and tortured, and marked, and drowned, and hung and killed him. He had said nothing and guessed that they had given up after a while. But it hurt. It hurt because he didn't understand how human beings could do that, and because dying was hard. Dying was painful, he could feel the life leaving his body, and worst, he could feel it coming back. The first breath he took when he revived was the worst torture possible. And, alone in this cell, he cried. Silently, facing the wall, but still, he cried. He couldn't show them how he was affected by their torture but he couldn't hold back any more.  He had already been tortured – a lot considering how young he was – but it had never been so violent and emotionless. 

When he heard the door opened, he jumped on his feet and almost tried to escape, or anything, but they pushed Ianto in and Jack had to run to catch him before he could collapse on the floor. By the time he had Ianto in his arms, the door was closed. He felt the weakness come back while touching Ianto but he fought against it and managed to push it away. He carried Ianto to his own bed and carefully put him down. His skin was hot, way too hot, when it usually felt so cold. As the kitchenette and cupboard was closed for him – actually it could be opened with Ianto's prints but he didn't want to move him – he ripped a sleeve from his shirt and put some water in it then carefully put the wet cloth on Ianto's forehead. He then lied down next to him and waited for him to wake up.

 

He accidentally fell asleep and found himself on the ground when he next opened his eyes. He had known better way to wake up. He knew Ianto had just punched him then pushed him away, but he didn't really care and tried to catch his arms to calm him down. He knew he was hurting him while holding him, but Ianto wouldn't stop moving and fighting back. When he finally stopped, he looked up at Jack in puzzlement.

“Wha-- Who are you?”

Jack didn't answer. He stared at him open-mouthed. When Ianto pushed him away again and turned his back on him, he didn't even try to prevent him. He felt Ianto's power coming out of him, and he had no real force left to fight it back. He was emotionally drained, and he now understood why they had put him back in his cell. They somehow knew he had grown attached to the young man, and they were using this against him, because their physical torture was going nowhere.

He fell on his knees and felt his breath leaving his body. What was happening to him? Even when Ianto had touched him the other day, it hadn't felt that way. It was hard to breath and he put an arm on the ground and clenched his other fist on his chest, trying to fight the feeling back. There was no way he could, he knew. He groaned as the pressure on his chest grew bigger and panted when it suddenly disappeared.

“Are you okay?” A shy voice asked him.

Jack looked up at Ianto from the floor and weakly nodded before passing out.

 

“Who are you?”

That was the first thing Jack heard. He didn't even open his eyes. He wasn't ready for this. He didn't want to know what they had done to Ianto.

“I know I should know you. I want to remember.”

“What happened to you...?” Jack managed to whisper through his tears. He opened his eyes to see Ianto sitting against the opposite wall from his bed. He was playing with a small ball and stopped when he caught Jack looking at him. He didn't look back, though.

“I... It's called retcon. At least I think they did that.”

“Retcon?”

“Yeah. They use it a lot. Not on me, though. I've been here for too long. But you already know that, don't you?”

“Are they brainwashing you? Are there others?”

“Plenty. They're not... I don't know. Were we close?”

“I made you a promise,” Jack said after a couple of seconds of hesitation.

“Did you break it?”

“Not yet.”

“Good.”

“Are you... Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” And he was lying. Jack knew he was. Well that was a stupid question, he must admit. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, noticing he wasn't feeling as weak as before. So Ianto was back at restraining his powers, then.

“I'm Jack Harkness. I told you I'd get you out of here.”

“Why would you promise that?”

“I just did, okay?”

“What are you, for me? Why would they do that? The others...”

“Never bothered talking,” Jack finished for him. “Or tried to kill you. I know. I know who you are, I know what you are, Ianto. And I won't hurt you, I won't kill you. You've asked me to, remember? But I didn't. I couldn't.”

“Who are we?”

He could see that Ianto was lost and trying so hard to remember. He sat up and put his elbows on his knees, burying his face in his hands to think.

“I don't know,” he finally answered, honestly.

“What do you mean you don't know? I don't know, are we friends?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Really?” Ianto asked genuinely surprised.

“Why so surprised? We're in this together, we have to stick together. They want us to kill each other. We won't.”

“They don't want me to kill you, they need you. And... I've never had a friend before. Not here.”

“Ianto, where are you from?”

“Cardiff.”

“Good. I'll bring you back to Cardiff, okay? You said you had your parents, right? Got any other relatives?”

“I don't remember only a few days. I can tell. I remember who I am...”

“I know, I know you do. I'm just trying to help. And I've never really asked.”

“I've got a sister.”

“Good, that's good. Tell me about her.”

“Why?”

“I told you, I'm trying to help.”

Ianto seemed to hesitate but began talking. Very little, because he didn't know nor remember a lot about his sister, but he talked anyway. Jack carefully listened, then asked questions, going further and further into the near past. When Ianto couldn't answer him any more, Jack told him what they had done, together. It was quick, because they hadn't done that much, but Ianto was carefully listening. Jack didn't mention kissing him, and wondered if he would ever feel that again.

He actually learnt more about Ianto than he had the few days they had spent together. Then he ordered Ianto to rest because he could see and feel the man struggling to stay awake. When he was doing that, Jack felt weaker. Maybe he should mention the kiss later, he wasn't sure how much time he could stay like that, always feeling weaker when Ianto wasn't able to restrain his power enough.

 

When Ianto started having nightmares, Jack stood up to do something, but the gravity called him back on the floor. He could hardly breath once more and Ianto was out of reach so he couldn't wake him up. He tried calling his name, but it just seemed to make Ianto's nightmare worse. When he finally woke up, screaming, the feeling got far worse and Jack felt sick. He managed to reach the toilets before throwing up.

Slowly, the sentiment grew weaker until it disappeared, as Ianto's breath calmed. He had to do something. And ask him.

“Do you remember?”

“What?” Both of their voices were weak and filled with emotions.

“What they do to you, every time.”

Ianto didn't answer and Jack looked up to see him crying. He probably was since his nightmare, but Jack felt his heart aching and knew it wasn't Ianto's power. He took a deep breath and scrambled to his feet, then quickly washed his mouth and knelt in front of Ianto. Ianto didn't move, he kept staring at the wall and crying. Jack sat purposely where he was looking, but he still didn't make a move. Even when Jack carefully took his left hand, he didn't move an inch.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered. That drew Ianto's attention as he eventually looked up from the ground, not understanding. “They... did that because of me.” Ianto shook his head but Jack put his finger to his mouth to shush him – though he hadn't talked – then carefully wiped the tears away. “I... We... I kissed you. They must have...”

“I betrayed you,” Ianto cut him off.

Jack stared at him in puzzlement. What?

“I told them everything you told me. There are no cameras, no micros here. They just take me when they think I know something. I remember. I know what you did. What we did. But I told them in order to end it. They weren't pleased enough with my answer.”

“I...”

“They did the same to you. I know they did. I can see it in your eyes. They tortured you,” Ianto said sadly. He raised his free hand to stroke Jack's cheek and smiled weakly. “And that's on me. I'm sorry. I won't betray you again, even if I have to die. But they won't kill me... They can't kill either of us...”

“That's why I'm gonna get you out.”

Ianto didn't answer but new tears ran down his face. Jack took a deep breath and straightened to rest his forehead against Ianto's.

“I don't want to die. I don't want to suffer,” Ianto eventually sobbed and Jack opened his eyes to look at him. He ran his hand in his hair and pulled him close to him. Ianto gasped and tried to push him back, but he quickly gave up and put his arms around Jack's body. Not caring about their uncomfortable position.

Jack smiled as he felt the same warmth he had felt the last time he had hugged Ianto, spreading through his chest. He stroked Ianto's hair and whispered to him to go back to sleep. Jack let him go when he was sure he was asleep – he must have been really tired to fall asleep sitting. He kissed his forehead and sat more comfortably on the floor, watching him. What if there was no soft spot or weakness in the walls and the door, no way of getting out with hitting or scratching or anything, but Ianto? Ianto could be a solution. He didn't want to use Ianto to get out, but it wasn't using him if it was saving Ianto as well, right?

Ianto had told him he was stronger than he thought, but Jack was convinced that Ianto was the one with abilities he couldn't possibly imagine. Because nobody had helped him with his power. They must have tortured him enough so he wouldn't leave, wouldn't even think about it. Jack knew he had a huge scar all along his spine, and it seemed really old, and Jack really didn't want to know how he got it. Or how old he was when he had gotten it. He had to help him, help him escape this place, and help him control his power, because he clearly didn't. At least, Jack was sure he had more than the ability to suppress one's power around him. He had to, because Jack had no other way of getting out.

 


	4. A Way Out

The next few days, Jack concentrated on Ianto. He helped him control his power and they could now touch every time, without Jack feeling weak any more. Someone was checking on them almost everyday and they had developed a certain habit. When they could hear the door opening, Jack would lie down, pretending to feel sick or weak or bad, to please the guard. They didn't want Ianto or Jack to be taken away and tortured again, so they put on this little act each time. It was working, apparently. Once or twice, the guard asked – discreetly, though not at all – if Ianto had a new information. He never had any. They knew they couldn't keep on forever, but for now it worked. It needed time to break someone, their captors must know it, after all they had tried with Jack.

After a while, Jack tried to cut himself. At first, it just hurt and stained his shirt. But after a few days it started to slowly heal and the more Ianto trained and concentrated, the fastest Jack could heal. It had brought a bit of joy to them. But the days were long, and training was exhausting. Jack never said it, but when Ianto was sleeping after a long training, his power went crazy and Jack was suffering. But as long as Ianto didn't notice, Jack could take it.

It took them a few more days to see that Ianto could create a force field that could explode after a couple of seconds. It was useful to break free, true. But it pumped all of Ianto's energy and the range was too random and most of the time too big, resulting in Jack flying across the cell and lying as unconscious as Ianto was after producing a force field. What a useful power, yeah.

As Jack was stubborn as hell, Ianto had to try a few times. One time, Jack managed to stay conscious. He didn't answer when Ianto questioned him after that Jack had told him they weren't trying this any more. Jack had never seen Ianto unconscious after using a force field, but this time he had noticed the way his skin reacted. It was paler than usual, and Jack was pretty sure the slightest pressure on it would explode a vein and make Ianto bleed to death. He wasn't sure what it was, but the skin seemed to tighten around Ianto's body, as if he were becoming thinner all of a sudden. And if not unconscious, Jack felt worse than any other time.

Ianto stopped asking after a few minutes, because he was emotionally tired, and slept again, Jack watching him with concern. Ianto had more powers, as he thought he would, but what was the prize? He hadn't thought about it, because he had never had to wonder for himself, but maybe overusing his power could kill him at some point. And he had promised. He wouldn't hurt Ianto and he would get him out of this place.

 

He didn't have to worry any more when the next day, a guard entered. Ianto was still sleeping, and Jack forgot to act. He jumped on his feet instead, suddenly blinded by anger. He wanted to avenge Ianto's life that had been taken away from him. Maybe they could take a hostage, something like that... No they couldn't, Ianto had explained, they didn't care about sacrificing one of their own.

But Jack didn't really care at this very moment, he needed to punch something, someone, to feel better.

Before he could do anything, though, the guard's face did something weird. As if watching a bad quality video. The guard had a look of horror on his face and soon enough, a different face from the one the guard was wearing when he entered appeared.

“Owen?” Jack asked, taken aback by the presence of someone he knew here.

“The fuck?! What's happening?” Owen tried to say calmly, or in a whisper, but almost yelled. His face did something weird again. “Sshh! Don't talk too loud.”

Jack had to contain a snarky remark, because Owen had been the one not staying quiet. His face changed again in someone Jack didn't know. Then Jack understood why he was panicking and went to Ianto to wake him up. As Ianto emerged, Owen took his guard form back.

“What was that?” he whispered – really this time – when Jack was looking at him again. “And who's that?”

“No time for this, what are you doing here?”

“Saving your rotten ass, of course. Sleep well, you'll need it. Tonight.”

“Ianto's coming too,” Jack said, pointing Ianto so Owen would know who he was talking about.

“Of course he is, we're taking this all thing down and saving as many people as we can. Anyway, I have to get back. See ya'”

“Owen!”

“Shh,” Owen pressed him, a hand on the door.

“Be careful,” Jack whispered, worried about what lives would be sacrificed to allow them to be free. He didn't want anyone to die for him, but this all place was insane and they had to put a stop to it.

“Ain't I always?” Owen smiled before opening the door, putting on a professional mask, and leaving.

“What was that?”

The sleepy voice of Ianto took Jack back on Earth and in the cell. Jack sat with a smile, the first in a long time.

“Our way out. Owen's a friend. I guess they have a plan to get us out. I promised you Ianto.”

“Are all your friends... you know, do they have abilities too?”

“Most of them, yeah.”

“But... I... I'll be here... You should go, without me...”

“Ianto, we talked about this. I'm not leaving you here. And no, I won't come back later to save you, I'll get you out, tonight,” he said, sharply. “You should go back to sleep, I'll wake you up,” he added with a soft voice so Ianto wouldn't take it badly. He was only trying to protect him.

“Jack...”

“Yes?”

“What... Who was he?”

“Owen?” Jack asked and Ianto nodded. “I told you, a friend. He can take the physical appearance of whomever he wants. We're a little team inside Torchwood.”

“Inside what?” Ianto immediately asked.

“Torchwood. Ugh... It's...”

“A group of people with powers?”

“Yes...”

“And you named yourselves... Torchwood?”

“... yeeaah... Are you judging?” Jack asked, a bit hurt.

“Not at all!” Ianto giggled and Jack smiled because it was rare and precious when Ianto smiled or laughed.

“Anyway, I don't really know everyone, but Owen is part of my team, along with Tosh and Gwen.”

“Is it really organised? I mean you have a boss and all that?”

“We have the Doctor.”

“The Doctor?”

“Yup. An old friend gave him that name, and he kept it. It suits him.”

“But what's his real name?”

“Believe me, you really don't want to know. The Doctor is way better.”

“The Doctor,” Ianto scoffed. “Okay.”

“Ianto Jones, are you making fun of him? He's really impressive you know.”

“I don't doubt it,” Ianto answered with an insolent smile.

“He created this. He saved us, organised us. He's not here a lot, but he's our hero. He's powerful, too.”

“Does he have a power as well?”

“Yeah. I shouldn't be saying it, not a lot have seen him using it. He doesn't really like having this power, he doesn't want to hurt innocent people or even kill, as evil as someone can be. He believes in redemption, and he hates weapons, including his own power. He can control fire.”

“I've always liked fire...”

“Trust me, you don't want to see him using it.”

“What about the others?”

“I told you I don't know everyone, but there are a lot of different powers. Some control fire, or water, or the wind, some are really fast, some have super-strength, some just have designed metal armours, others turn into a big green monster...”

“Really?”

“... No, not the last two ones. It was a... Sorry it wasn't nice, you probably don't even remember superheroes in your childhood? It's pretty popular... They made movies and all, but I should have known you wouldn't get it.”

“It's okay...”

“But really, some can control mind and all. Kinda creepy. Gwen is creepy, to be honest. I mean it's pretty cool, she can control electric power. She can be kind if you're kind to her. Otherwise, she'll fucking cut the power off just to piss you off. If she's in a good mood. She electrocuted me once, can you imagine? Not nice!” Jack laughed as Ianto stared at him, eyes wide opened. “Don't worry she'll love you! And she's Welsh, and I mean really Welsh, she'll defend her own kind.”

“Oh... Okay... What about Tosh?”

“She's super-smart,” Jack shrugged as if it was obvious.

“Is that her power?”

“No she's just super-smart. I mean she's a genius among the geniuses. But really, she's telekinetic.”

“What is that, exactly?”

“It means she can throw something at the back of your head while you're talking to her, only with her mind, and make you believe it was an accident and fell by itself. Been there, done that.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Well... Ugh... Never mind that, she's really nice.”

“You were being mean to her?”

“No. Maybe. I don't remember... Okay maybe I was rude, but I'm not, usually. Not with her.”

“Well, I like her!”

Jack smiled and answered some questions about his friends and team. He convinced Ianto to go catch some sleep, after reassuring him on what would happen next. Ianto was afraid he would panic and not restrain his power in front of everyone, and that their rescue mission would fail because of him. Jack had doubts too, but he believed in Ianto.

He kissed his forehead to wish him a goodnight as he was drifting off to sleep. After watching the wall for a moment, he laid on the same mattress as Ianto, his back on him. He heard Ianto moving and smiled when he put an arm around his waist.

 


	5. Home

Jack slept a lot as he hadn't when Ianto was unconscious. His cell mate accidentally woke him up by tightening his arm around him, and Jack had to roll on his back to see why Ianto was doing this. He noticed the young man shaking and frowned.

“Ianto are you okay?”

He nodded, but he didn't really seem okay. Jack pulled him into a hug and Ianto seemed to calm down in his arms. He wanted to say something, warn him that he shouldn't get too attached because he wouldn't be around him all his life, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. First because he didn't want to upset Ianto, not now, and essentially because he wanted to stay by his side. He wanted to protect him and show him a world he had been torn away from at a too young age.

“I swear it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay,” he whispered, stroking his hair.

He pushed the hair away from Ianto's forehead and smiled when he eventually looked him in the eye. Ianto opened his mouth, as if to say something, but nothing came out, and Jack let his hand fall to his cheek. He slowly approached Ianto, to give him enough time to think and push back, if he wanted to, but Ianto did nothing. Their lips inevitably met and Ianto sighed against his mouth, as if he had been waiting for this for too long time, and tightened his hands on his shirt.

Suddenly feeling a wave of weakness, Jack threw his head back with a groan of pain, trying not to hurt Ianto as he grabbed his hair.

“Ianto... what the...”

He knew Ianto was doing this, he knew how it felt by now, but he didn't understand what was happening. And to be honest, he was afraid of Ianto's power. He could easily control him or whomever he wanted as long as they had powers... That was frightening.

“I need to know... what is it?” Ianto whispered, his voice shaking with mixed emotions Jack didn't understand.  
Jack stared at him open-mouthed to give his mind the time to catch up. “What are you t...”

“This,” Ianto cut him off, waving his hand between the two of them. He eventually sighed and let go of the pressure he was putting on Jack, then buried his head in his neck. “I'm sorry I'm just...”

“I know. I... We should have talked about it. I just... like you. Is that okay?” Jack asked hesitantly and hid a smile when Ianto nodded in his neck. “Listen, how about we get out of here first and after we're done with this place, we see what we do with all of this... is that still okay?”

Ianto nodded again but didn't seem to be moving away from Jack. As Jack was taking a deep breath to talk, he said “I like kissing you. It feels good.”

Jack genuinely laughed and planted a kiss on Ianto's forehead. His head shot up and he looked at Jack with a confused expression, heavily blushing.

“You like that too?” Jack asked with a smile.

Ianto quickly nodded and sat to take his composure back. Jack laughed again and followed him, kissing him again, on the cheek this time. As they were getting ready – not as if they had a lot of things to do – Jack silently stared at Ianto. He hadn't given much of a thought about what he felt for the young man, he just happened to like him, which was convenient as they were stuck together. But it was more than that. He was always openly flirting with everyone, not always in the mindset of shagging the person, but just because it was part of him now, but he hadn't with Ianto. Mainly because they had been stuck in a cell, indeed. He didn't really know how to explain it but he knew that the fact he felt weak when Ianto wasn't controlling his power added something to the feelings he already had.

Not in a strange or kinky way, but he needed challenge in his life, and not dying suppressed all the life-threatening challenges. But there, he actually was vulnerable. And Ianto didn't judge him or anything. Moreover, he felt responsible for him. He had to help and take care of Ianto and for once in his life he actually felt like he was really helping someone. He was saving him from this doomed place.  
Or he would save him. For now, they were still stuck...

“Jack!”

He jumped at the voice and turned to Ianto who sounded scared.

“What if I can't control it?” He asked again.

Jack sighed and put his hand on Ianto's shoulder with a reassuring smile.

“It's going to be okay. Really. We're well prepared in Torchwood if we have to.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean guns. You don't have to worry about suppressing someone's power. They still know how to shoot.”

“Wh-- What kind of organisation is this?” Ianto asked, not the slightest reassured.

Jack shrugged to avoid answering and sat down again. After a while, Ianto moved to sit next to him and Jack held him close. The minutes felt like hours and Jack could feel himself growing tired. He wanted to get out of here. Ianto lied on the mattress and Jack smiled softly when he put his head on his thighs. He caressed his hair with his eyes glued to the door but well aware that Ianto was looking at him. Jack eventually closed his eyes, bored and impatient, but didn't stop playing with Ianto's hair, which didn't seem to bother him.

He opened his eyes when the lights went out.

“What's that?” Ianto asked, sitting with difficulty – and a suppressed yawn – on the bed. He already missed Jack's presence.

“That? It's a pissed Gwen. And it's not going to be pretty,” Jack smiled, relieved their nightmare would end soon.

They both stood up and Jack motioned Ianto to stand away from the door. As Jack felt a new wave of weakness, he turned and smiled at Ianto who sighed and calmed. Jack just hoped everything would go fine.

After a couple of minutes of standing still, away from the door, Jack felt fingers brushing his before Ianto finally took his hand.

“Thank you,” he whispered with a weak pressure on his hand. Jack smiled inwardly and pressed back, so Ianto would know he had heard him.

 

When the door opened – more like exploded – Jack reaffirmed his grip on Ianto's hand and dragged him towards the corridor. Gwen was there, opening other doors, and Jack called her. He let go of Ianto to hug her but quickly patted her back.

“How can we help?” He asked.

“You don't, it's a clear operation. You get to safety with the others. Tosh is outside.”

“But...”

“Trust us,” she smiled. “And you don't want to be here when he comes in.”

“He's here?!”

Gwen nodded then pointed Ianto with her chin. Jack didn't answer her silent question and turned to the young man who seemed lost and scared. As Jack started to feel weak again, and saw Gwen's concerned look, he took his hand and followed his friend's orders. Each time there was a blow or a gunshot, Ianto jumped and pressed Jack to walk faster or end this, and Jack reassured him.

As they were near the exit, a voice stopped them.

“Oh I don't think so. You stay here or you die!”

Ianto completely froze and Jack guessed he must know the man. He looked at him and move without thinking when he saw his gun.

Ianto jumped when the man fired. He was convinced he would die. Instead, he felt something on his face. Blood. It took him a few seconds to understand it wasn't his own, but Jack's. He stared open-mouthed at him as he fell backwards, and all he could do was open his arms so Jack wouldn't hit the ground.

“Ianto...” Jack groaned in both pain and frustration. He could feel his weakness come back and he knew it was both because he was in pain and because Ianto was losing his control. “Ianto, focus...” he said, but he felt blood in his mouth and stopped talking, only looking at Ianto who hadn't moved and was eyes and mouth wide opened in shock.

Jack understood too late what was happening. He was about to yell at Ianto not to do it, but the force field had already formed around them. The other man laughed, then Jack heard the sound of bones breaking and a yelp of terrible pain.

“Ianto!” he finally managed to say, and the force field disappeared.

Ianto collapsed on the ground, still holding Jack and heavily panting, probably on the edge of having a panic attack. And Jack couldn't move because of the pain.

“Ianto please... I need...” He had no energy left to finish his sentence. He needed his power, quickly. He needed to be able to heal or he would probably die. And he didn't want to experience a death with Ianto besides, he didn't know if he could live again with Ianto next to him.

Ianto didn't move, his eyes were out of focus, he wasn't looking at anything, but his face was directed towards the floor, so Jack could perfectly see him. Even if he didn't move, Jack's words made their way in his mind as Jack felt his wound closing. Before it could even heal properly, he sat down and gently shook Ianto by the shoulders. When he eventually looked up, Jack's heart broke. Since he had first seen him, Ianto had this look of innocence and purity, the look of someone who hadn't seen the world, someone who had suffered but someone had never, ever, hurt anyone. Let's not talk about kill someone, which he had just done.

“He didn't give you a choice. Ianto you had to... I'm not saying it's good but you had no other choice... Ianto, this place is going down, we can't be here when it does.”

“What...” Ianto cleared his throat before talking more. “What is happening...?”

Jack tightened his hold on his shoulders. “I honestly don't know. But it's not going to be pretty if he's involved. Ianto, I made you a promise. We're going out, but for this, I need you. Okay?”

Ianto nodded and Jack smiled to reassure him. He stroked his face, hoping it'd look like a kind gesture when all he was trying to do was wipe his own blood away. But Ianto seemed to relax and Jack stood up to help him get back on his feet. He was still in shock and it would probably take time to process it – taking one's life was something hard – but it meant that Ianto was human. Jack could help him as well, he had freaked out the first time he had severely injured someone, he knew what it felt like.

Ianto could walk at least, even if he must have emotionally disconnected his brain. They had no time for panic right now, and Jack apologised in silence as he helped Ianto – even if Ianto seemed to be helping him more, as he was still pretty weak from his injury. He could heal, but it didn't mean he was all good and full of energy afterwards.

As they walked, Jack realised that Ianto had used his force field without Jack getting affected, nor Ianto fainting. He still didn't know if it was safe or not for Ianto, but he seemed to control it a bit better than before. Unless it had been a spontaneous act, which it probably had as he had just seen Jack getting shot. He had acted on impulse to protect himself and Jack. Jack didn't think he could do it again purposely.

When they _finally_ got out of this damned place, they both jumped as they heard an explosion. Someone told them to follow them, and they did, frequently looking back. They weren't the only one to stop when the night was lightened by a fire. Ianto gasped besides Jack, who tightened the grip he had on Ianto's shoulder.

“I told you we had to get out,” he said, relieved they had had time to exit the place.

“Who...”

“I warned you, you don't want to see The Doctor using his power.”

“So that was him... Does he always...?” Ianto asked, not looking away from the fire and the explosions that were destroying the entire building. He didn't look at the night sky he hadn't seen in all these years, or at the new cars he had never seen before, or at the other people. No, he witnessed the place he had been kept in for more than eight years burning down to ashes.

“No. I've never seen him using his power like that. But we didn't know they were doing experiences on human beings, he must have discovered it.”

As Jack talked, the building collapsed and a human form walked out of the fire. Or he flew. It sure looked like he was flying, though he arrived by walking in front of Jack. His eyes were ice-cold and Ianto immediately thought he should _never_ piss this man off if he wanted to live. The contrast between the fact he was producing fire and that he could probably throw little spikes of ice with his look was scary and Ianto swallowed hard.

He flinched when the man waved at Jack to salute him with a childish smile. The contrast with this attitude compared to the one before shocked Ianto even more. Who the hell was that man? Now he wanted to be his friend because he had that stupid yet cute smile on his face.

“Jack,” he said.

“Doctor. I've missed you, right?”

“I didn't see anything. It sure was quieter than usual!”

“So what'd I miss?” Jack smiled.

“Not much. We'll take care of them, Jack.”

“I know. About that...” he said, putting a hand on Ianto's shoulder.

“You want to take care of him?”

“Are you okay with this? He helped me go through this.”

“Sure. Is he...?”

“Yes,” Jack answered, knowing his friend was asking if Ianto had powers too.

“Okay. But he's your responsibility now, Jack! And I'll have to talk to you two, but there are things I need to do first.”

The Doctor smiled again, and jogged off to a van, his serious expression back on. Jack looked at Ianto who was now staring at the sky and he let him be for a while, taking a look at everyone around them. The authorities were there, taking names and identities, and checking things, and some former prisoners were with doctors. Owen was helping them, and Tosh and Gwen the police. He smiled. _Home_.

He turned to Ianto who was now looking at him, and they both smiled at each other.

“I made a promise. I told you I'll get you out,” Jack said.

He was surprised when Ianto threw himself in his arms, and they almost fell backwards but Jack steadied them and laughed as he put his arms around Ianto's body.

“Thank you,” Ianto whispered through tears, and Jack simply smiled and tightened his hug because there were no words that could express what he was feeling at this very moment. True happiness of having saved Ianto, and of the idea he would spend more time with him.

They still had a long path ahead, and Jack would probably have to explain everything that had changed in the world for hours, but they were free, Ianto was free, and the look in his eye was all Jack needed to see he had made the right choice.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> I'd like to thank Moranginette for reading and commenting and especially for correcting some stupid mistakes. And she helped me find Gwen and Tosh's powers as well, so thank you :D (especially Gwen, I didn't know what to do...)  
> Anyway, thanks the others who've read this too, it's nice of you!  
> I have an idea to write something more about this, though it'll be about Owen, and I don't know if I'll manage to write something interesting enough, but I'll try, if some are interested ^^


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